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The Bath teenager was arrested Sept. 1 by the Maine Fire Marshal's Office and taken to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Bath Police Lt. Stan Cielinski confirmed on Tuesday.

The fire was called in at 7:42 p.m. Aug. 30 and took about 20 minutes to knock down, Bath Fire Chief Steve Hinds said on Tuesday. Firefighters also responded from Brunswick and West Bath.

The fact that the fire started outside the house, and that the residents – Debbie Patterson and her son, Nick – had not been home for hours, made the cause of the fire suspicious, Hinds said.

The fire started at the rear of the house and burned across the entire back of the building, the chief explained, noting that while the rear of the structure was badly damaged, the front could be cleaned up and painted.

Hinds said he understood that the owners will continue to live in the home.

"The building can be repaired," he said. "... It's not a totalled building. But it's certainly going to take some work."